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Ways To Have Fun At Work

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Page 1: Ways To Have Fun At Work
Page 2: Ways To Have Fun At Work

An Excerpt From

301 Ways to Have Fun at Work

by Dave Hemsath and Leslie Yerkes

Published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers

Page 3: Ways To Have Fun At Work

v

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments vi

Introduction viii

How to Use This Book x

Work Environment: Giggle While You Work 1

Communication: Funny You Should Say That 43

Training: Learning the Fun-damentals 69

Meetings: Having Fun—Wish You Were Here 97

Recognition: Say It with Fun 127

Team Building: How to Create Fun-atics 157

Simple Acts of Fun 183

A Twelve-Step Method to Fun 216

Suggested Readings 230

Index 233

Companies Featured 237

About the Authors 240

Page 4: Ways To Have Fun At Work

INTRODUCTION

FF un at work—is it an oxymoron or the newest businessmanagement trend?

We believe that fun at work may be the single most importanttrait of a highly effective and successful organization; we see adirect link between fun at work and employee creativity, pro-ductivity, morale, satisfaction, and retention, as well as customerservice and many other factors that determine business success.

We wanted to help people see that link, so we decided toconduct an international survey to collect real and relevant storiesof what actual businesspeople are doing to create fun workplaces.The results have been phenomenal. We received responses fromindividuals at many levels of the corporate hierarchy, who workwithin companies of all sizes and in a wide variety of industries.The responses revealed that many successful companies havemade fun an integral part of their corporate culture. Fun hasbecome an organizational strategy—a strategic weapon to achieveextraordinary results in areas of corporate life ranging fromtraining sessions to meetings to hiring practices.

Humor consultant and bestselling author C. W. Metcalf wrotein HR Focus (February 1993) that “humor is a vital, criticalelement for human survival, and we often forget about it, and set

viii

iswhat

workmeantfun

to

be:

Page 5: Ways To Have Fun At Work

it aside. We are told that laughter, fun, and play are unadult,unintelligent, and nonprofessional. Nothing could be further fromthe truth. One of the first indicators of the onset of most mentalillness is a loss of the sense of joy in being alive.”

Fun and humor help individuals through crisis and change.Because they facilitate the release of tension, fun and humorincrease employees’ ability to cope with stress on the job and toremain flexible, creative, and innovative under pressure—centralfeatures of a strong, resilient corporate culture.

Organizations that integrate fun into work have lower levels ofabsenteeism, greater job satisfaction, increased productivity, andless downtime. As cited in HR Focus in February 1993:

▼ In the nine months that followed a workshop conducted by C.W. Metcalf at Digital Equipment Corporation in ColoradoSprings, twenty middle managers increased their productivityby 15 percent and reduced their sick days by half.

▼ Employees from the Colorado Health Sciences Center inDenver who viewed humorous training films and attended funworkshops showed a 25 percent decrease in downtime and a60 percent increase in job satisfaction.

Fun and the energy it creates are contagious. By far, the mostintriguing part of the hundreds of surveys we received are themany stories of the ways that individuals and companiesincorporate fun into the workplace.

This book is essentially a compilation of these fun andinspiring stories.

ix

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x

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

WW e wrote 301 Ways to Have Fun at Work for everyone whoworks: from line employees to managers, from contract

workers to senior executives. The book is designed so that you canopen it to any page and find valuable ideas to use immediately.

We have organized the book into seven sections to facilitateyour finding a fun idea to suit your particular work situation orneed. At the end of each section, we present an in-depth casestudy, which we call a “Fun Focus,” that illustrates the theme ofthe section. The sections are as follows:

Work Environment: Giggle While You Work

Communication: Funny You Should Say That

Training: Learning the Fun-damentals

Meetings: Having Fun—Wish You Were Here

Recognition: Say It with Fun

Team Building: How to Create Fun-atics

Simple Acts of Fun

communication

training

meetings

recognition

teams

acts

work

Page 7: Ways To Have Fun At Work

Look for the Fun Icons throughout the book, which identify

Fun Facts,

Fun Resources,

and Fun Quotes.

TT here are even Daveand Leslie Icons,

which identify stories weare telling or retelling.

In addition, we haveincluded our Twelve-StepMethod to Fun, a program

we suggest you share with your coworkers, and follow byimplementing one step a month for a year.

At the end of the book is our list of suggested readings—bookswe highly recommend for your reading pleasure and to aid you inyour pursuit of fun at work.

xi

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Work Environment

GG ii gg gg ll ee While YouWork

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2

Work Environment

GG ii gg gg ll ee While YouWork

phrase “a fun workplace” doesn’t have to

be an oxymoron. Anyone can choose to create a fun

workplace. Both qualitative and quantitative data exist

to support our belief that a fun work environment can

have a positive impact on productivity, quality, customer

service, and job satisfaction. But still it is a

that each of us makes.

To infuse your work environment with a spirit of fun,

you must value fun as important, you must believe fun to

be essential.

If you want fun to seep into the fabric of your

company culture, start with yourself:

▼ make a conscious effort to lighten up,

▼ plan for fun,

▼ respond spontaneously to fun moments, and

the

choice

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3

▼ embrace fun as the chosen tone your work

environment.

An organization’s work environment is both tangible

and intangible. It consists of the physical structure of

your operation as well as the tone that is set within its

walls. It might seem difficult to get a handle on the tone

of your environment. It is, however, a real thing and can

have tremendous impact on your work .

n environment that fosters fun is characterized

by positive energy, high self-esteem, and team spirit.

People feel alive and want to give their best effort to the

task. Fun contributes to the creation of an environment

that nurtures and sustains what we call employee “want

to.” You cannot put a price on “want to.” Individuals can

be trained to do just about anything, but first they must

have the motivation. Fun can enhance motivation. If work

and the work environment are fun, the results will be

better.

To support your pursuit of a

and your quest for an enlivened workforce, we will share

with you stories, facts, ideas, and resources to stimulate

your fun juices for creating your own “Fun Company.”

for

a

fun workplace

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4

AA sk yourself the question each day, “Are wehaving fun yet?”

▼ ▼ ▼

WW eather can influence attitude in both apositive and a negative way. I know that I

prefer clear skies and sunshine. I am happiestand most productive during the long days ofsummer, when the sun comes up early and staysup late. Recently, as the seasons began tochange, our city experienced a week of dark andrainy days that sent my spirits sagging. Onemorning during this week, determined not to letthe weather affect my attitude, I burst into song.

I serenaded the office with a completerendition of “The Sun Will Come Out

Tomorrow” from the musicalAnnie.

It made me feel better and it was received with laughter. Soencouraged was I by the

fun

yougiggle while

work

work

environment :

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5

response that I proceededthrough the lobby of ouroffice building in full tune,stopping to sing my merrymelody to the security guardand the post person. I waschased back to my officewith friendly jeers androbust cheers. There issomething to be said forcarrying a happy tune.

▼ ▼ ▼

AA California company promotes a fun andhealthy work environment by distributing

page-a-day calendars on different subjects toeach of their staff members. The calendars rangein subject matter from Wheel of Fortune puzzlesto Dilbert cartoons to gardening tips. Sinceeveryone’s calendar is different, curiosity runshigh. Staff members have been known to takebreaks during the day to solve Wheel of Fortunepuzzles on someone else’s calendar.

work

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MM any businesses are promoting a fun andflexible work environment by implement-

ing a shortened work week during slow times ofthe year. One San Francisco–based company hassummer work hours, closing the office at 1:00p.m. on Fridays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.The free afternoon may be a time when staffmembers go to a movie together or just have thefreedom to get a head start on their weekend.

▼ ▼ ▼

“The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working

the moment you get up in the morning and does

not stop until you get to the office.”

—Robert Frost

▼ ▼ ▼

FF ind a way to symbolize your fun. TrowbyBrockman, an insurance industry

professional, and her team adopted a mascot—one of those icky, soft rubber toy gorillas. He wasaffectionately called Gordy. Gordy would show up

fun

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7

in unusual places, particularly when individualswere having a rough day.

During one hurried flight to the home office,Trowby reached into her raincoat pocket to findGordy. It put a smile on Trowby’s face andreminded her that she was traveling with thesupport and good feelings of the team.

When she was transferred to another office,Trowby continued to benefit from the loyalty ofGordy and her team, who remembered to sendoccasional cards and good wishes. You neverknow where Gordy will turn up.

▼ ▼ ▼

TT aking one’s self tooseriously can be deadly.

Tom Ziska realized that hisworkplace, an architecturefirm, had become far tooserious and stressful, whichcan be detrimental to thecreative nature of the work.Tom went searching for

work

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8

something that would allow people to vent theirfrustrations in a healthy and humorous way. Hesurprised the office with a pair of parakeets. Theyare named after two famous architects—LeCorbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright. Tom saysabout his feathered friends: “Their daily chatterand presence has done the trick. We give themthe run of the office. To date, no one hascomplained about their little ‘presents.’ Whenthings get heavy or trying, we ask them what theywould do. It’s surprising how often they havegood answers.”

▼ ▼ ▼

TT ake advantage of every opportunityto have fun.

Many nonprofit organizations usethe fundraising strategy

affectionately known as “jailand bail.” Individuals aresent to “jail” for a couple ofhours. During their

fun

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9

incarceration, the “convicts” are required to raisedonations by soliciting “bail” from friends andcoworkers. When a community nonprofit organi-zation created a “lock-up,” Jerry Kaminski seizedthe chance to have some fun with his bosses: hesent them to jail for an afternoon. Not only did itbecome fun for the entire workplace but it alsoraised money for an important community cause.

▼ ▼ ▼

A survey of business school deans and business

executives revealed that humor plays a significant

part in the operation of a healthy, successful

business.

▼ ▼ ▼

HH aving fun is being prepared to break out ofthe box—in small ways as well as large. It

is doing the unexpected, being willing to lookfoolish or silly: like singing out loud, or

work

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cultivating funny voices, or bowling in thehallway with beach balls and empty boxes. Whenyou take a chance, you break the tension andfacilitate an atmosphere of acceptance, freedom,and trust.

▼ ▼ ▼

MM ake a list of all the people and things thatbring you joy, satisfaction, pleasure,

fulfillment, and fun. Refer to it when you arebored, upset, or just need a break. Joy lists aregreat to exchange with others, too!

▼ ▼ ▼

Many offices liven up their surroundings with

Koosh Balls, the rubbery, stringy balls that are fun

to play with and toss around. One of the more

popular Koosh toys is the Koosh Basketball—

perfect for the back of any office door. For

fun

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11

information regarding Koosh toys, call 800-75-

KOOSH. To view a few of the Koosh toys as well as

a fun array of other toys and gifts, visit the Kitty

Hawk Kites web site at www.kittyhawk.com.

▼ ▼ ▼

WW hen our office (like many offices) is stuckwith doing a mundane, repetitive job, we

often lighten up the atmosphere by listening tomusic. Occasionally, the local radio station willplay an hour or an afternoon of “one-hit wonders,”rock groups or singers who only made onememorable song. When a new song comes on,everyone in the office will try tobe the first to identify theobscure artist. It doesn’tsound like much, but in oursmall, competitive office anafternoon can soar by as weall attempt to be first to yellout “Video Killed the RadioStar! by the Buggles.”

work

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HH armless practical jokes can be amemorable way to create fun in an office.

Here is a story of what happened at PrintingIndustries of America, according to AssociationManagement magazine (October 1993).

On July 8, the building manager distributed aroutine memo: “This weekend the vendor whoinstalled the cabling in our building willthoroughly clean all of our telephone lines byinjecting compressed air into the cables. Tocontrol dust and debris that may emanate fromyour telephone receivers, all staff members areurged to store their telephones in theirwastebaskets or to procure special bags from theproduction department before leaving work onFriday, July 10.” More than half the staff askedfor the special bags, and the building managerhad to get some clear trash can liners todistribute. One woman forgot to procure a bag,worried all weekend, and tried to reach thebuilding manager at home. Over the weekend,the “Mirth Committee” tossed glitter andelectrical wire odds and ends into everyone’stelephone bag. On Monday morning the stafffinally got the message: It was a joke!

fun

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AA ccording to Polly LaBarre in the February5, 1996, issue of Industry Week, Hal

Rosenbluth, CEO of Rosenbluth Internationalsays, “The only way for us to continuouslyprovide solutions to the needs of an ever-changingbusiness world is to have the kind of environ-ment where spontaneity thrives.” One way Halmeasures his organization’s “happy quotient” isby sending out crayons and a blank piece ofpaper to employees, who draw their current viewof the company. He actually compares thesedrawings every six months to measure anychanges in the way people feel about thecompany.

▼ ▼ ▼

“A fun work environment allows you to express

yourself freely in an appropriate way that

generates a feeling of comfort and association

among fellow employees.”

—Fabian De Rozario, Donaghey Student Center,

University of Arkansas, Little Rock

work

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TT imothy Schrllhardt writes in the October 2,1996, Wall Street Journal that many

companies are implementing programs to reducestress on the job. One of our favorites is that ofS. C. Johnson & Son in Racine, Wisconsin. Thecompany subsidizes in-house back and shouldermassages in order to help reduce stress amongits forty-three customer service departmentstaffers. Corporate massages have become verypopular. For example, Barbara Neims, ofManchester, Connecticut, started a massageservice aimed at corporate customers six yearsago and has since added six massage therapiststo serve her growing client list.

▼ ▼ ▼

JJ .. David Lewis’s office in San Francisco believes that it pays to spend a little money

on fun and has come up with the following ideas:▼ Put up funny art in the office and change it

when it gets stale.▼ Take everyone out to lunch once a month.▼ Provide candy at meetings.

fun

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▼ Make sure there is plenty of light in the office.(The “jail look” doesn’t facilitate a productiveworkplace.)

▼ Wear casual dress on Friday.▼ Work more hours during the week so there is

time for a party on Friday afternoon.▼ Give out mock award certificates for funny

things like “Best Hair Day.”▼ Pay for everyone to go to a conference once a

year.

David writes, “Perhaps thebiggest factor in creating funin the workplace is organiza-tion. If everybody is alwaysoverworked or behind, theywill be stressed out. I thinkmanagement needs to setrealistic production goals andprovide competent direction, aswell as the resources to support

achievement of the goals.Given this structure, even

the most challenging workcan be fun and notstressful.”

work

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this material has been excerpted from

301 Ways to Have Fun at Work

by Dave Hemsath and Leslie Yerkes

Published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers Copyright © 2009, All Rights Reserved.

For more information, or to purchase the book, please visit our website www.bkconnection.com